Bottle-transfer mechanisms



Aug. 27, 1963 A. H. WEBSTER BOTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS S-SheetS-Sheet 1 Filed March 24. 1961 lnvenlor AL 5x4 NOE/P Hm:

(58375: By JIM;-

Attorney Aug. 27, 1963 A. H. WEBSTER BOTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1961 By J/hpw M A Home y Aug. 27, 1963 A. H. WEBSTER 3,101,830

BOTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS Filed March 24, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I n 0 en [0 r ,4; [Aw/vase Hm: Main- Attorney Aug. 27, 1963 Filed March 24, 1961 A. H. WEBSTER BOTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I n 0 en to r ,41 [14/059 wz #4965754 v bvn' 2/.

A tlorney A. H. WEBSTER BOTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS Aug. 27, 1963 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 24, 1961 l n ven tor Jam/van Aw: Wiasme l/W/M Attorney United States Patent 3,101,830 BQTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS Alexander Hyde Webster, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire,

England, assignor to R. W. Webster 8: (Iornpany Limited, Waltham Cross, England, a Eritish company Filed Mar. 24-, 1961, Ser. No. 98,194

Claims priority, application Great Britain Apr. 7, 1960 ll) Claims. (Cl. 198-31) This invention relates to bottle-transfer mechanisms, and is concerned with the means whereby a row of bottles is marshalled, suitably spaced, and is transferred to other equipment, such as a washing machine, a filling machine, a sterilising machine or the like. In such transfer devices it is important that the bottles advancing in a row to the position from which they are transferred elsewhere, shall be maintained in a closely controlled and accurately spaced relationship with one another. In known devices bottles are fed in spaced relationship on to a transverse conveyor, the spacing being eifected by a worm or by a star Wheel from which they are released when they pass on to the conveyor. Since the conveyor must advance until a row of spaced bottles thereon numbers, perhaps, '40 or 50 bottles, before the row is transferred (usually by a pusher device) it is found that the spacing of the bottles in the row on the conveyor is not always as accurate as desired. This is due to the fact that the accuracy of spacing depends upon maintenance of a very exact synchronous speed relationship between the conveyor and the spacing device, and slight variations introduce errors in spacing. Moreover if for any reason the conveyor should be stopped and restarted it may slip to a greater extent under one 4 bottle in the row thereon than under another, which also introduces errors in spacing.

One object of the present invention is to provide a bottle-transfer mechanism free from the aforesaid defeet, and with this end in view the invention consists in bottle-transfer mechanism comprising means for controlling the spacing of bottles in an advancing row which remain operatively in control of all the bottles until all the bottles of a row have reached prearranged positions, e.g. their positions from which they are transferred to the next stage of handling, e.g. into pockets of a belt for carrying them through a washing machine. The control means may conveniently comprise a worm, extending along substantially the full length of the row in transfer position (i.e. across substantially the full width of the machine), adapted to control the positions of the bottles being advanced by a conveyor.

According to a further feature of the invention a bottletransfer mechanism comprises a conveyor on which bottles in spaced relationship are advanced in a row to transfer positions, the conveyor being so arranged that the row of bottles is transfered from one side of the conveyor by gravitational forces. The pusher device commonly employed in known transfer mechanisms is thus eliminated.

For the aforesaid purpose the bottles as they advance into the row may be tilted from their initial upright, vertical, positions to inclinations of, say, 45 to the vertical, being held in those positions by suitable supporting means which may be displaceable in order to allow gravitational transfer of the row to take place. According to yet another feature of the invention a bottle-transfer mechanism comprises means for tilting bottles, during their advance in a row, from initial vertical positions to inclined positions, e.g. to one side of the direction of advance. Care is taken to maintain the desired accurate spacing of the bottle during this tilting movement prior to the transfer operation. For example if and when the spacing is controlled by a worm the tilting of a bottle while in contact with the worm would result in advance or retardation of the bottle by a distance depending upon the angle of tilt and the pitch upon the worm, and to avoid this the pitch of the worm may vary along its length to compensate for displacement due to tilting.

The invention will be clearly understood from the following description of one form (given, however, merely by way of example) which it may assume, and this description will be more readily followed by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 represent respectively in front elevation, rear elevation, and transverse sectional elevation, views of a bottle-transfer mechanism according to the invention, the section of FIGURE 3 being taken along the line AA of FIGURE 1; 1

FIGURE 4 represents diagrammatically successive stages of tilting of a bottle as it advances through the machine shown in FIGURES 1-3:

FIGURE 5 represents in sectional elevation the means for holding a row of bottles during advance, and for releasing the row for transfer:

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 represent views, similar to that shown in FIGURE 5, of successive stages of a transfer operation: and

FIGURE 9 is a diagram of control and synchronising arrangements for the mechanism shown in FIGURES 1-8.

lIn carrying the invention into effect in one convenient manner as shown in the aforesaid drawings a bottle-transfer mechanism is adapted to receive a line of bottles delivered to it by a conveyor, and to effect spacing of the bottles, and to maintain such spacing, as the bottles continue to advance. At the same time means are provided to tilt the bottles from initial vertical positions to inclined positions (e.g. at 45 to the vertical) to one side of the conveyor, and supporting them at these inclined positions, while still accurately maintaining the relative spacing of the bottles. When a prearranged number of inclined bottles completes a row the support is withdrawn, and owing to their inclination, the bottle in the row thereupon slide sideways off the conveyor to be received by other devices, e.g. carrier bolts which transfer them to pockets in a conveyor chain whereby they can be carried through a washing machine, a sterilising machine or the like. After the row of bottles has been thus discharged from the transfer conveyor, the support is returned to a position for receiving and supporting another row of tilted bottles. Means may be provided for temporarily supporting the leading bottles following the discharged row of bottles which are being advanced and are in process of being tilted before the row-support is restored to its supporting position.

Referring to FIGURES l3 of the aforesaid drawings bottles are delivered to the mechanism by a conveyor 1 of conventional form on which they are carried on orderly single file and usually in contact with one another. This conveyor 1 brings the bottles to a worm 2, above and adjacent to the side of the conveyor on its rear side (i.e. the row-delivery side of the mechanism), against which worm the bottles may be held by guide rails or the like. The Worm 2, fitted with suitable trip gates and of increasing pitch, engages the contacting bottles and spaces them apart as they advance. The speed of the conveyor 1 is preferably controlled to hold the bottles against the rear face of the worm 2, so that the conveyor is responsible .for advance of the bottles, and the worm effects relative positional control.

At the joint of the mechanism parallel to, but spaced from, the worm 2 is :a second worm 3, and the progressing bottles, suitably spaced by the worm 2, advance between the worms 2 or 3, being engaged on opposite sides by both worms (FIGURE 4). A deflector rail 4 may be provided to ensure engagement of the bottles with the worms 3 and to assist in control of subsequent movement.

At this point of advance the tilting of the bottles, previously vertical on the conveyor 1, is initiated. Owing to the rail 4 the base of each bottle is caused to slide transversely off the conveyor 1 on to the adjacent narrow belt conveyor 5, and the conveyor 1 terminates by running over its end sprocket 6, the bottles here being supported solely by the belt :between the worms 2 and 3. As they are carried further the bottles are increasingly tilted by the rail 4, until they reach an inclination of about 45 to the vertical to one side of their line of advance, and at this point the bases of the bottles slide off from the belt to a conveyor 7 running in a plane inclined to the horizontal to receive the bases of the tilted bottles. Successive stages of tilting of a bottle are illustrated in FIGURES 4, a, b and c. When the tilting is completed the belt 5 drops away round its end sprocket 8. The advancing bottles are here supported in their positions by the rail 4 and by associated guides 9, and it will be noted that the bottles remain in engagement with the worm 3, which continues to control their spacing. As seen in FIGURE 1 this worm extends across the full width of the machine, and maintains spacing control of all the bottles as long a they are assembled tilted in a row on the conveyor 7.

It will be noted from FIGURE 4 that the rotation of the worms 2 and 3 is such that in both cases their upper faces move inwards towards the bottles. It will also be noted that the tilting of a bottle provides additional relative rotational movement between the bottle and a worm, which would modify the linear advance of the bottle. In order to avoid undesired resultant displacement of the bottle the pitches of the worms are modified, the pitch of worm 2 being progressively decreased by about /3 pitch (being the proportion corresponding to a bottle tilt of about 45, which is /s of a full 360 turn) over the length between the point of initiation and point of completion of bottle tilting, while the pitch of worm 3 is likewise progressively increased by about /a pitch over the corresponding length. The contours of the worms are carefully formed and adjusted at all points to conform and mesh with the tilting bottles, and the form of the guide rails 4 and 9 carefully formed to provide smooth control of motion of the bottles from upright to fully tilted positions.

The tilted bottles are advanced by the conveyor 7, under spacing control by the worm 3, until a. complete row extends across the mechanism, and the row is then transferred from the conveyor.

One convenient arrangement for effecting this transfer operation is illustrated in FIGURES 5-8 of the drawings. The guide rails 4 and 9 terminate a short distance from the point of completion of tilting of the bottles, and thereafter the advancing bottles are supported in tilted positions by an inclined plate or frame 10 located to receive the inner walls of the bottles, in continuation of the rails 9. This drop plate 10 is mounted on rods 11 slidable in bearings 12 so that it can be reciprocated between an upper, bottle-supporting, position (FIGURE 5), and a lower position (FIGURE 6) where it is free from the bottles and the conveyor 7. The bearings 12 are preferably located so that during downward movement of the plate it also moves somewhat away (from the bottle (FIGURE 5).

When the drop plate 10 is in the 'lower position the bottles are free to slide, under gravitational forces, away from the control worm 3, off the conveyor 7, to other handling means, erg. conveyor means described more fully below for carrying the bottles to pockets: 13 of a conveyor chain about to receive them. As also described more fully below the operations of the mechanism are appropriately timed and synchronised to ensure that when the advancing row of tilted, spaced, bottles is aligned with the pockets 13 to receive them, the drop plate 10 is moved down (FIGURE 6) to release the bottles which, as shown in FIGURES 5-8, thereupon drop into slotted V-shaped slides or guides 14, located behind the upper position of the plate 10, and conveniently formed of a resilient substance, such as rubber or a plastic compound, to avoid shock. The base of a bottle rests on a slotted abutment 15 at the lower end of the slide 14, and fins 16, e.-g. of stainless steel or a resilient material, may be provided between the slides 14 to ensure and maintain separation of the bottles. These fins may extend almost into contact with the bottles before release in order to ensure separation as the bottles escape from. the worm.

At the moment of entry of bottles into the slides 14, feed fingers 17 mounted on a bar 18 carried between a driven pair of endless chains 19 approach the bases of the bottles (FIGURE 6) and move them upwards in the owned slides 14 (FIGURE 8) into a substantially horizontal position in which they enter the pockets 13.

The conveyor 7 and worm 3 are driven continuously and thus during the time the drop plate 10 is withdrawn from transfer of a row of tilted bottles, other tilted bottles following the row being transferred, continue to advance and pass beyond the ends of the fixed supporting rails 4 and 9. Means are provided to support these following tilted bottles, after they leave the rails 4 and 9, for such time as i necessary for the assembled row to be transferred from the conveyor 7 and the drop plate 10 again raised to a supporting position.

These means comprise parallel arms 20 ("FIGURE 2), in the same plane as the rods 9, extending from a support 21 upstanding from a frame 22 slidably mounted on rods or the like 23, and reciprocable thereon by a pneumatic cylinder 24. The carriage 22, 21 remains in retracted position (i.e. displaced to the right as seen in FIGURE 2) while a row of tilted bottles is being built up for transfer. When the drop plate 10 is withdrawn to initiate transfer of a row, the carriage is moved by the cylinder 24, in the same direction and at the same speed, as the bottles following the row being transferred (i.e. from right to left as seen in FIGURE 2), and the arms 20 support the bottles after they have passed the ends of the rails 9. When a row of bottles 'has moved off from the conveyor 7, and been lifted sufliciently far by the fingers 17 to allow return of the drop plate 10 to supporting position, the drop plate is raised, as previously explained, and the carriage 22, 21 arrested, and reversed, by the cylinder 24, to its retracted position. While the arms 20 may be as long as desired, and have a stroke of any required length, it is found that it is usually necessary for the arms 20 to support only four bottles beyond the end of the rails 9 prior to return of the drop plate 10 to its supporting position. The drop plate 10 may, if desired, be cut away at its top and bottom edges, at the end adjacent to the arms 20, in order that even in its uppermost position the arms 20 will not be obstructed by the plate 10.

In order accurately to control movement of the traverse carriage 22, 21, there may be provided on the carriage a freely pivoted pawl 25 (FIGURES 2 and 3), with an integral weighted lever 26, normally urging the pawl downwards. The lever 26 is movable between stops 27. Adjacent to the lower rod 23 are mounted side by side, on suitable sprockets, two spaced endless chains 28 which run one past each side of the pawl 25. At a selected point there is secured between the chains 28 a block or bridge piece which, as the chains rotate, rides under, and lifts, the pawl 25. The chains 28 are driven at the same linear speed as the advancing bottles on the conveyor 7, and while the carriage 22, 21 is held in retracted position by the cylinder 24 the block on the chains 28 rides under the pawl 25, temporarily displacing the pawl but otherwise having no elfect. When, however, the cylinder 24 advances the carriage 22, 21, the pawl 25 engages behind the block carried by the chains 28, and the speed of advance of the carriage is controlled by the chains and is not, therefore, more than the speed of advance of the bottles. This allows greater accuracy of control than would be easily possible by controlling the air supply to the cylinder 24.

As seen from FIGURES 1 and 5 it is preferred to mount the worm 3 in such a manner that it can be adjusted to cope with bottles of different sizes. For this purpose the worm is formed in sections secured together by thin bearing plates 29 (FIGURE 5) secured to a rod 30 mounted in bearings 31 on upstanding supports 32. Arms 33 extending from the rod 30 carry each a sleeve 34 in which engages a screwathreaded rod 35 having at its other end bevel engagement with a transverse rod 36, rotatable by a hand wheel 37 at one end. By turning the hand Wheel 37 all the rods 35 are rotated, to screw into or,

out of the sleeve 34, thus rocking the rod 30 and adjusting the plates 29 (and with them the worm 3) about the axis of the rod 30. As also seen from FIGURE 5 the reciprocation of the drop plate is effected by a pneumatic cylinder 38 operating through linkage elements 39 on a shaft 40.

One form of pneumatic circuit, according to the invention, which may be employed to control and operate the mechanism described above, is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 9 of the drawings. Air under pressure is supplied to two lines, 41 and 42, in each of which are incorporated valves adapted to be depressed by abutments on the mechanism during operation. For example a projection or block 43 on the chain 19 carrying the feed bar 18 (FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 actuates valves, by depressing the arms thereof, as the chain 19 runs round its sprockets.

Valves 44, 45 and 46 are adapted to be actuated by the abutment on the chain 19. Valves 47 and 48 are operable by the traverse carriage 22, 21 or an abutment thereon, and valves 49 and 50 are operable by the drop plate 10, or an abutment thereon. In the case of valve 50 the valve is normally open for passage of air, but is closed when its arm is depressed: in all other cases the valves tend normally to be closed, but are opened by depression of their inder 54 adapted to operate the drop plate 10, and to a holding cylinder 55, adapted to operate the traverse carriage. preferably adjustable, and the valve 44 is so positioned (FIGURE 6) as to be depressed by the block 43 as the feed fingers 17 approach the position for picking up bot ties in the V-slides 14, and it will be seen that the drop cylinder is thereupon operated to withdraw the drop plate 10 (allowing a row of bottles to fall into the V-slides to be picked up by the fingers 17); and also the holding cylinder 55 is actuated to advance the traverse carriage 22, 21 from its fully retracted position at a speed limited by the belts 28 as previously described).

The plate 10 drops to its lowermost position very quickly and almost immediately after depressing the valve 44 the block 43 operates the valve 45 admitting air to the valve 49, which is operated by the plate 10 in its lowermost position. If, therefore, the plate 10 fails, or takes too long, to reach its lowermost position, air passes through valve 49 to operate directly on the clutch relay of the mechanism and thus to arrest the whole machine. If, however, valve 49 is closed before valve 45, due to the rapid drop of plate 10, the machine continues to run, and the block 43 thereafter depresses valve 46, admitting air from line 56 to valve 48, which is adapted to be actuated by the traverse carriage in its most advanced posit-ion. It is necessary to ensure that the carriage is fully advanced and has thus correctly supported bottles, in order that the drop plate 10 may be restorted to its upper position.

The positions of the valves in the mechanism are v Provided the carriage has been fully advanced the valve 48 is open, and actuation of valve 46 admits air to the side of the relay cylinder 51 opposite to that connected to the valves 46 and 47. The relay cylinder 51 being thrown vents the pressure sides of the cylinders 54 and 55, and applies air to the return side of the drop cylinder 54, thereby rapidly raising the drop plate 10 to its uppermost position. In this position the plate 10 actuates valve 50 and thereby admits air to the return side of the holding cylinder 55, which thereupon retracts the traverse carriage 22, 21. When fully retracted this carriage opens valve 47, and the circuit is reset for the next cycle of operations, commencing when the block 43 on its next circuit actuates the valve 44 again.

In addition to the above there may be incorporated in the circuit other trips (not shown). For example, a valve lever or like sensitive finger may be located at the end of the worm 3, to be actuated by a bottle held in the worm by the plate 10 after it should have dropped out and therefore advanced to the end of the worm. When actuated this trip would arrest the machine. The worm itself may be driven by a sensitive slip clutch adapted to depress a trip and arrest the machine in case of jamming or other fault in the worm drive. An operators trip would also normally be included for stopping the machine whenever required.

From the above description it will be seen that the invention provides efiective means for the rapid transfer of bottles, marshalled in rows, to pockets in a chain, or like equipment, for further handling, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited solely to the details of the form described above, which may be modified, in order to meet various conditions and-requirements encountered, without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

,1. Bottle-transfer mechanism comprising a first substantially horizontal conveyor for feeding a line of bottles to said mechanism, a second conveyor for receiving said infed bottles and conveying them to spaced transfer positions, said second conveyor being inclined to the horizontal in a transverse direction, means for tilting bottles from a substantially vertical attitude on said first conveyor to an inclined attitude :as the bottles pass from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, means for supporting said bottles in inclined attitudes during their advance on said second conveyor, worm means adjacent to said second conveyor adapted to control the movement and spacing of said bottles on said second conveyor throughout the time the said bottles are being conveyed to, and become located at, said respective transfer positions by said second conveyor, and means for effecting simultaneous transfer from one side of said second conveyor, of all the spaced bottles lined on said second conveyor when they respectively reach the said transfer positions thereon.

2. Bottle-transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said means for supporting bottles in inclined attitudes comprise, adjacent to one side of said second conveyor, movable guide means against which said inclined bottles rest and slide, and said means for effecting said transfer of said bottles from said second conveyor comprise a mechanism for moving said guide means away from said bottles thus allowing said bottles to slide. off said second conveyor.

3. Bottle-transfer mechanism comprising a first sub-. stantially horizontal conveyor for feeding a line of bottles to said mechanism, a second transversely inclined conveyor for receiving said infed bottles and conveying them to spaced transfer positions, (a first worm means adjacent to said first conveyor on one side of the line of advance of said bottles, a second worm means adjacent to said second conveyor on the opposite side of the line of advance of said bottles, said second worm means being adapted to control the movement and spacing of said bottles on said second conveyor throughout the time the said bottles are being conveyed to, and become 10-: cated at, said respective transfer positions 'by said sec-. ond conveyor, means for tilting said bottles in passing] from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, and means for effecting simultaneous trans-fer from one side of said second conveyor, of all the spaced 'bottles lined on said second conveyor when they respectively reach the said transfer positions thereon.

4. Bottle-transfer mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said first worm means and said second worm means overlap in longitudinal extent, whereby over part of their path of advance bottles are engaged respectively by both said worm means on opposite sides, and wherein said means for tilting said vbottles comprise guide means whereby the base of each bottle is displaced transversely of its line of advance while the bottle is engaged by both said worm means.

5. Bottle-transfer mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said first and said second worm means overlap in longitudinal extent whereby over part of their path of advance bottles are engaged respectively on opposite sides by both said worm means, said bottles being tilted while engaged 'by both said worm means, and the pitches of said worm means being modified to eliminate undesired displacement of a bottle in its direction of advance as a result of being tilted While in engagement with said worm means.

6. Bottle-transfer mechanism comprising a first sub-' stantially horizontal conveyor for feeding a line of bottles to said mechanism, a second transversely inclined conveyor for receiving said infed bottles and conveying them to spaced transfer positions, means for tilting said bottles in passing from said first conveyor to said second: conveyor, guide means adjacent to one side of said second conveyor adapted to support said bottles in inclined positions thereon, worm means adjacent to the opposite side of said second convey-or adapted to control the movement and spacing of said bottles on said second conveyor throughout the time the said bottles are being conveyed to, and become located at, said respective transfer positions by said second conveyor, and means for temporarily displacing said guide means downwardly in rela-' tion to said bottles supported thereby, freeing all said bottles on said second conveyor, for simultaneous transfer by sliding from one side of said second conveyor, when they respectively reach the said transfer positions thereon.

7. Bottle-transfer mechanism according to claim 6 wherein the means :for displacing said guide means irom supporting position in relation to said bottles impose r 8 upon said guide means movement in a direction having a component away from the bottles perpendicular to said bottle axes.

8. Bottle-transfer mechanism according to claim 6 wherein bottles are fed continuously on to said second conveyor, and comprising auxiliary bottle supporting means for supporting inclined bottles being advanced on to said second conveyor during the time the guide means are displaced to allow transfer from said second conveyor of a line of bottles when they have reached their respective transfer positions.

9. Bottle-transfer mechanism comprising a first substantially horizontal conveyor for feeding a line of bottles to said mechanism, a second transversely inclined conveyor for receiving said infed bottles and conveying them to spaced transfer positions, means for tilting said bottles in passing from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, main supporting means for supporting said inclined bottles on said second conveyor, worm means adjacent to said second conveyor adapted to control the movement and spacing of said bottles on said second conveyor throughout the time the said bottles are being conveyed to, and become located at, said respective transfer positions by said second conveyor, means for displacing said main bottle-supporting means in order to allow simultaneous transfer from one side of said second conveyor, of all the spaced bottles lined on said second conveyor when they respectively reach the said transfer positions thereon, slidable auxiliary bottle supporting means movable beside said second conveyor, means for advancing said auxiliary supports beside, and in support relation to, bottles advanced on to said second conveyor, during the time said main bottle-supporting means are displaced to allow transfer of a preformed line of bottles spaced in their respective transfer positions.

10. Bottle-transfer mechanism as claimed in claim 9 comprising means for restoring said main bottle-supporting means to a bottle-supporting position after transfer of a line of bottles from transfer positions on said second conveyor, and for simultaneously withdrawing said auxiliary bottle-supporting means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,970 Steward July 7, 1903 2,630,904 Bozek Mar. 19, 1953 2,669,341 Holstebroe Feb. 16, 1954 2,687,204 Magnuson Aug. 24, 1954 2,753,974 Hopton et al. July 10, 1956 2,765,896 Peterson Oct. 9, 1956 2,890,787 Carter June 16, 1959 

1. BOTTLE-TRANSFER MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR FOR FEEDING A LINE OF BOTTLES TO SAID MECHANISM, A SECOND CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING SAID INFED BOTTLES AND CONVEYING THEM TO SPACED TRANSFER POSITIONS, SAID SECOND CONVEYOR BEING INCLINED TO THE HORIZONTAL IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION, MEANS FOR TILTING BOTTLES FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL ATTITIDE ON SAID FIRST CONVEYOR TO AN INCLINED ATTITIDE AS THE BOTTLES PASS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, WORM MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BOTTLES IN INCLINED ATTITUDES DURING THEIR ADVANCE ON SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, WORM MEANS ADJACENT TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO CONTROL THE MOVEMENT AND SPACING OF SAID BOTTLES ON SAID SECOND CONVEYOR THROUGHOUT THE TIME THE SAID BOTTLES ARE BEING CONVEYORED TO, AND BECOME LOCATED AT, SAID RESPECTED TRANDFER POSITIONS BY SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING SIMULTANEOUS TRANSFER FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, OF ALL THE SPACED BOTTLES LINED ON SAID SECOND CONVEYOR WHEN THEY RESPECTIVELY REACH THE SAID TRANSFER POSITIONS THEREON. 